Avoiding the Question
by Rutoh-Chan
Summary: After making a discovery that Ren was not expecting, he and Kyoko find out that Cain Heel has a mind of his own. Which leads to a very interesting conversation and some questions no one really wants to discuss. Pity then, that Sho is expecting answers.
1. And Now He Knows

Wow, I managed less than a year before posting something new. Hooray!

Comes some time after chapter 160, but not immediately after. Here we go...

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Ren paused in the middle of the hall, water bottle halfway to his mouth, staring down to the end of the corridor where a gloomy shadow was hanging. Inside the shadow was a girl he knew quite well, dressed in her dreadful, shocking pink uniform, kneeling on the ground over a large bag, holding something carefully in her hands.

He knew what it was, of course. Even at this distance, he could recognize the miniature of himself, dressed as Cain Heel, being held in Kyoko's hands, looking like it was receiving a thorough inspection. And it didn't look like it was passing.

"It's no good," he heard her grumble. Though she was a good distance away, in the silent hall, her voice carried just enough he could hear her. "Though I suppose that isn't really your fault. My imagination can only go so far after all." She paused for a moment, looking frustrated and a bit embarrassed. "I should have looked." she grumbled softly.

Ren was working very hard to not draw attention to himself. He had known that Kyoko could create extremely realistic dolls in his image, and he knew that she was a real perfectionist. She had to be in order to make a doll like the one she had made for Maria's birthday. But this was just…

Ren had had mixed feelings about the shower incident. Since his general train of thought that evening had been a depressing downward spiral, the comedic irony of the moment had been a nice temporary alleviation from his agonizing over his past and the break in control he had suffered earlier that evening. He had also felt a bit of pride, when Kyoko had managed to work through the incident without stumbling out of character. At least, not in front of him.

And there had been massive relief when she had still been willing to talk to him even between their work together as the Heel siblings. That she could hold a reasonable conversation with him (and he did remember her eyes being fixed firmly on his face) told him that she was comfortable with the situation, most likely because she had not seen anything to make her uncomfortable.

There had been a part of him (and he was not going to argue with himself over how large this part was) that had hoped in some way she had been aware of the situation. That in some respect, even if she had not looked, she had thought about him, not just as her sempai or brother, but for one single moment, as a man.

So this particular revelation was playing bloody havoc with his feelings, and it took him a moment to realize he should probably leave. Now.

Managing to leave the hallway where she was still sitting, staring intently at the doll in her hands, Ren tried to bring his thoughts back to rationality.

The feeling of shock was probably the one first and foremost hindering him. Any and all reasons aside, that Kyoko would even for one moment think that she should have looked was almost unfathomable to Ren. Oh yes, he had wanted her to notice him, but he had encased himself in a solid barrier of rationality. Kyoko would _never, ever_ think that not taking advantage of the moment was regrettable. She was the most conservative person he knew. She just could not…

And why could he not contain the little flutter of joy that was dancing around inside of him? Her words had been that she thought she should look, but her reason...

The doll. She wanted to have looked because she wished she could make the doll even more accurately, not just on the basis of the model she had built of him from studying him. Her value of a job well done was no secret to Ren. He just did not think it would apply to a hobby that to a certain degree even she found embarrassing. And the reason brought with it a twitch of anguish. She could not really be thinking of him as a person if she was letting her thoughts drift towards regret on the basis of the doll. She had not really noticed him at all, had she?

Ren allowed himself one sigh before she shook himself and let the moment go. He was not supposed to have seen it, and ultimately it changed nothing. His feelings for Kyoko and the way that she thought about him were no different. It had been an interesting and shocking encounter, but it would have no impact on them long term.

He allowed himself a tiny bit of amusement, wondering what Cain would do if he had been the one to discover this information, but let even that pass.

The last thing he needed was for Cain to get involved...

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The next chapters will be longer. Hope you enjoyed this. All comments are welcome.


	2. Cain is Able

**Here you go with chapter two. Enjoy.**

**Ah, late disclaimer. I don't own Skip Beat! and never will.  
**

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"Tsuruga-san!" Ren kept walking, hoping to avoid the conversation that was calling for him at the other end of the hall. "Tsuruga-san, wait!" Yes, definitely better to avoid the conversation. Who knew what might come of it. "REN!"

Ren stopped and turned around. To have her call his name, even with that angry tone, was not something that he could ignore. Alright, it would be better to avoid the conversation. But if she was angry enough to drop her usual conventions and call him by his given name to get his attention, he would talk with her.

It could be interesting.

"Mogami-san. Is something the matter?" Kyoko gave him a withering look and glanced up and down the hallway. They were the only ones there now, but people used it frequently and it would not be a good place to have this particular conversation.

"Could we move somewhere else," she asked, back to her polite nature. Ren gave her a mild smile.

"I'm sorry Mogami-san, I have work in a short while. If it doesn't take too long and you have somewhere else in mind…" he let her mull this over for a second, fairly certain he would end up escaping. Amusing as it could have been, if she was back to normal already…

"This way," she said as she moved off down another corridor, catching him by surprise. Apparently he was not getting away.

In only few turns they were in a more secluded hallway, hidden behind some infrequently used vending machines. Ren could feel Kyoko tensing as they reached their destination, and he wondered if maybe she might explode on him.

"Now, what is it?" he asked as he leaned against the wall. He really thought he already knew, but playing it ignorant might slow her down. If she had to bring it up, maybe she would forgo the issue entirely.

He underestimated her confusion playing into the matter. She hated ambiguity, especially when it came to her relationships with people, and in spite of her more… conservative nature, she wanted answers, and she wanted an apology.

"Why did you do that?" she demanded, giving him a hard look. He was not quite sure if the blush on her face was from her anger at him, or from her embarrassment at the situation leaking out.

"Do what?" he prompted, still avoiding the topic. Her brow furrowed.

"Don't play innocent with me Tsuruga Ren! You know exactly what I mean."

"If you are referring to what Cain did the other night-"

"What else could I be talking about?"

"Really Mogami-san, you would have to ask him."

"Then bring him out, I want to talk to him."

"Now might not be the best time and here not the best place," Ren commented, hoping to end the conversation quickly. She was working up her temper, and he wasn't sure how much longer he could stall her. He did not want to talk about this. More and more he just did not. It would be too hard to lie if she really pressed him… "I'm sure Setsuka can talk with him when we go back later-"

"You forgot them on purpose, didn't you?" Ren cringed inwardly.

"I did no such thing. Sometimes people do forget things. Cain does have a careless attitude."

"He could have asked Setsu to bring him something."

"He knew she was making dinner. Which, I notice, you always seem to cook something when he goes to take a shower."

It was Kyoko's turn to feel uncomfortable. She did not want to voice out loud her concerns over her sempai's behavior and acting, but Cain's invitation when she had walked in on him that first night had worried her. What would she do if she accidentally walked in on him again and she didn't have dinner to cook? Would it be her fault, or Ren's if things went askew? They were both sticklers about staying in character and acting out Cain and Setsu naturally.

Which was why the other night had been so… she didn't want to think about it.

"You tease Setsu constantly, no matter how busy she is. Having you around while she is cooking would be asking for a disaster." The excuse sounded weak, even to her, and Ren's smile told her he did not quite buy it, but he was willing to let it go. If he could just get her uncomfortable, this would end.

"Fine, I won't argue with that. So, we'll just write it off as an innocent mistake?"

"Innocent mistake!" she hissed. "After what you said while you were strutting around the room, making fun of me. It was not an accident, no matter how many times you try and pass off that he just forgot his clothes-"

"Are you referring to the comment on the dolls?" Ren asked, a crooked smile playing on his face. This time he was sure the blush was from embarrassment. Sometimes she was just too cute.

"Yes," she finally mumbled. Then, gathering her courage, she looked him in the face again. "It was all to make fun of me. You know how I am about...about… people." Her sentence finished off with a mumble and Ren knew she was trying to avoid the real issue.

"You are just fine with people," Ren stated smoothly. "So this isn't a problem."

"Not a problem! You were walking around naked! The reason I _didn't_ look the first time was because I _knew_ I wasn't supposed to. I'm not a pervert! How could you just waltz out like that? And then make fun of me on top of that!"

"You make it sound so bad. I was wearing the towel," he interjected blandly.

"Anything could have happened," Kyoko groaned. "What would I have done then?"

"Probably kept looking." Kyoko could clearly hear the teasing in Ren's voice and she did not find it amusing.

"Of course Setsu would look. Cain is her beloved big brother. She isn't embarrassed to be living with you. And she loves taking advantage of every privilege she gets over everyone else."

"Did you use it to your advantage?" Kyoko turned a flaming red. "Your dolls," he added to try and ease the comment.

"How can you be so shameless," she moaned, hiding her face in her hands and shaking her head in frustration.

"I'm shameless? You were the one who wanted to have this conversation."

"You weren't planning on it," she asked in mock amazement, clearly figuring him to have been planning on it, probably to torment her.

"No, I wasn't. If you want the honest truth I was hoping that your natural tendency to avoid… delicate topics would mean that it never got mentioned outside the hotel room, and possibly never again inside of it."

"Really?"

"Mogami-san," Ren sighed, trying to figure out how to work this without telling a complete lie. Maybe an over exaggerated truth? "I didn't want to talk about this because, whether you believe it or not, I am as embarrassed as you seem to be." That caught her off guard. "When I ran into you in the hallway, talking to your doll, I was surprised, but I tried not to take it to heart. I do know you fairly well, and I know that you are not an unprincipled person. I had a mild thought in my head that it would be funny if Cain teased you through Setsu a bit, but I didn't think that I would step into character and lose control of all of my decency and common sense. I was embarrassed by my behavior, and not really sure what to think about yours. You have been very good about matching my commitment to staying in character, and I had no idea what you were thinking. Or if you would ever speak to me again."

"Oh," Kyoko said quietly.

"It wasn't any worse than what you did," Ren stated, ready to turn this conversation back on her.

"What I di-. I didn't do anything, that was all you!"

"All me? How was that at all my fault."

"You said it yourself. I'm following your lead, remember?"

"That doesn't mean you aren't allowed to act with common sense!"

"Oh, so I'm the indecent one here! Without common sense!"

"Who's the one who asked to sleep with me?"

"Who's the one who said yes!"

The advantage of talking in a disused hallway is that very few people come through it. The disadvantage is, people do use it on occasion, usually to escape attention and relax. This particular building was used by a variety of agencies for work across all kinds of genres. So it was the inevitable curse of fate (for whom it is uncertain) that Fuwa Sho would be using the building that day, and decide to take a break in the exact hallway that Ren and Kyoko were using.

They were far enough down that at first he only heard voices in the distance and chose to stay at the near end of the hallway to avoid dealing with people. But when he heard what he was certain was Kyoko's voice almost shouting the word "naked" from the end of the hall, his interest was piqued. It could not really be her, right, and not saying something like that.

Then had come the unmistakable rumble of a man's voice (and Sho's trained ears were ready to swear it belonged to _that_ man), but the words were too indistinct to really make out. Followed up by what he was sure was Kyoko saying something about "beloved," "living together," and "taking advantage," Sho decided it was time to move closer. He wanted to hear what this conversation was about and he knew they would not tell him, so it was time to sneak up on the other side of the vending machines they were using as cover.

His concentration on his stealth was so severe that by the time he was behind the machine and actually listening again, he jumped in at, "Who's the one who asked to sleep with me?"

His brain was stunned. Kyoko would not have asked anyone, much less that man to...to...NO!

"Who's the one who said yes!"

"What?" he stepped around the vending machine, unable to stay hidden in light of this revelation.

Ren and Kyoko both froze, staring at him, Kyoko with a look of shock and horror. Ren tried to moderate his face to mere surprise. Truth be told, more than shock, he was trying to hide amusement. Kyoko would not appreciate anything he did that would make Sho less inclined to believe her. And she would have to be the one explaining. He did not trust himself to keep a straight face.

"I think I'll let you handle this," Ren said to Kyoko as turned to go.

"Wha-. What do you mean?" The look on her face was a mix of horror and anguish.

"I told you before; I didn't have much time to talk. You're the best one to explain it anyway. You know him best, so you can make sure he doesn't misunderstand." Actually, Ren was hoping she would be too embarrassed to explain correctly and Sho did misunderstand at least a little.

"But, I can't explain fully. Because of those circumstances…" she looked at him pleadingly, trying to get him to help. Ren smiled an apology but shook his head.

Meanwhile, Sho was trying to process what was going on. Still in their own little world, he could not figure out exactly what had happened. It seemed what they had said was not quite right in explaining what had actually happened, but what on earth were the "circumstances?"

"I'm sorry Mogami-san. Just do your best. I trust you. I'll see you later this evening." And with that he turned and walked off, nodding a simple goodbye to Sho. The musician was trying to wrap his head around everything still, especially around the idea that these two would be together later.

Kyoko watched Sho's confused face as he followed Ren's exit. He turned back to her, uncertain and unimpressed. She found herself feeling defensive and she glowered at him.

"It isn't what you think," she stated. "I didn't-. We didn't-. It wasn't like that." she finished lamely.

"You didn't sleep with him," Sho stated directly, wanting a clear answer. He was concerned when she opened her mouth a few times and thought about it before saying simply, "It's complicated."

"Complicated!" he demanded. "What's so complicated about it?"

"I can't tell you," she mumbled. "It's not my place."

"Not your place? All I managed to pick out is something about your 'beloved' and you 'living together' and 'taking advantage.' I want and explanation, now. Because it sounds like it was exactly what I thought it was."

"That wasn't what I said," Kyoko stated, trying to figure what she could tell him. She decided for a sort of half truth. She hoped she could pull it off. "Look, you know I'm in the LoveMe section, right?" Sho's faced told her what he thought of that, but she chose to ignore it. "The president is directly in charge of my section. He gives out special tasks sometimes to make sure that we are progressing the way he wants us to. Since we're in there since we are supposed to be love deficient, his jobs are supposed to help us fix that."

"So he had you move in with the Most Attractive Man in Japan as an underage high school student and play at being lovers?" Sho asked incredulously.

"NO!" she hissed. "The job is secret because we are staying together some of the time and I'm also helping Tsuruga-san out with something for his work, but we're not...lovers." She nearly choked on the word. "We're siblings. I'm acting as his younger sister, who has a brother complex. So he's my character's 'beloved' brother. And when we were talking about me sleeping with him," her face flushed slightly, "it was a brother/sister thing. Not… anything else."

"So what was he taking advantage of?" Sho demanded, now thoroughly confused. Kyoko flushed.

"He wasn't," Kyoko mumbled. "Setsu has an advantage over everyone else, because she can be with her brother." Sho was not pleased with the look on her face.

"So she takes advantage of him by asking for favors," he suggested icily.

"NO! I already said it isn't like that! I wouldn't act that kind of character!"

"So you didn't sleep with him," Sho asked again, still wanting things cleared up. "At all. Even as siblings. Even though he said yes. Because you wouldn't do that." Kyoko was glaring at him again. Couldn't he just let it go? Had she not been clear enough already?

"Why does it matter?" she demanded, her voice raising slightly. "You already said I wouldn't!"

"So you didn't, right?" Sho's voice was rising slightly as well. "You didn't sleep with him!"

"Why does it matter to you?"

"Because I never did!" he shouted. Kyoko's eyes went wide and Sho cringed inwardly. He had not meant to say that. It only took her a moment to recover before she was glowering at him again right before she slapped him hard across the face. She allowed herself to stare him down for a moment more before she stalked off.

Sho stood in the hallway, angry at his mistake, but more upset that he still did not know if she had or not.

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**How was this chapter? I know people liked the last one at least a little since I didn't get flamed, but it didn't seem like everyone liked it as much as my last story. Did I improve at all?**

**Anyway, I have the rest of the story written. Working on final edits for the last two chapters, I'll post them soon. Hope that you are still liking it.  
**


	3. Her Secrets

**And here we go with chapter three.**

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Ren arrived for his costume prep right on schedule. No amount of still wanting to avoid Kyoko would make him tarnish his work record. And upon arrival he felt a small reprieve when he did not immediately see Kyoko in the room. He felt a little bad for ditching her, but knew that ultimately it had been the right thing. It was her image that needed to be protected. Not his. It was no secret Fuwa would never think well of him.

The door slammed shut suddenly behind him and Ren turned around to see a very unhappy Kyoko staring at the far wall, not really seeing anything.

"Mogami-san?" Kyoko looked up at him and blinked, realizing only now that he was there. _Fuwa_, his thoughts turned bitter. _He's the only one who makes her like that_.

"Sorry," she mumbled, clearly still irritated about something. "I just…"

Ren smiled as best he could. She always knew when he was angry and he did not want her to think for a moment that he was displeased with her.

"How did it go?" he asked, hoping to find the issue quickly and clear her head. She shrugged.

"He bought my explanation. It wasn't too far from the truth, but I don't think he'll make the connections he would need to. I don't think he could ever see me acting someone like Setsuka." There was a bitterness in her voice that made Ren go cold. Why did she have to care about that boy at all?

"His loss," Ren stated firmly. Kyoko gave him a weak smile, but he could tell something about his statement had bothered her. "Mogami-san, did he say something?"

She shrugged. "He was just… Sho. It doesn't really matter."

"Ah." His sentence hung in the air for a moment and an awkward silence grew between them. He asked the first thing that popped into his head, trying ease the situation. "What did you tell him?" Kyoko looked at Ren, puzzled. "So that we both have the same story. I doubt he'll talk to me if I run into him, but just in case…"

Kyoko nodded and gave him the same brief explanation she had given Sho. Ren had not expected anything too different from what she told him. She was not a liar, and this really was as close to the truth as she could get without breaking confidences.

"Alright," he said when she was finished. "That sounds good. I'll remember that. Did he accept your explanation about the part he walked in on?" Ren wondered if maybe Fuwa had not believed her. He was frustrated when her face became clouded again.

"He believed me," she said quietly.

"Well, that's good then. Right?"

"Yeah, I guess."

Before Ren could discover what that cryptic statement meant, Jelly arrived and swept Kyoko off to go get ready. Ren spent a few moments talking with the President, who had arrived with Jelly, then went off to change as well.

By the time he came out, Setsu was already there, waiting for Cain. She was at her brother's side in an instant, her hand immediately finding his own.

"Ready for work?" she asked, giving him a warm smile. Ren was relieved and Cain gave his sister's hand a small squeeze.

"When am I not ready?" he retorted, dragging her with him to the door. Setsu giggled and waved goodbye to the president and Jelly. Lory watched them with more than a bit of amusement. Even he had wondered how things would turn out with the two of them living together. But he had trusted Ren, and he had complete faith in Kyoko. It would be alright. They would take care of each other.

Work went just fine. Kyoko had no problem staying in character as Setsuka and Ren let himself relax. Whatever had been bothering her, it was not bad enough that she was going to let it affect her work. She would be alright.

And she was alright, all the way back to the hotel, through making dinner, and she was still smiling when she left to take her own shower. But it did not escape Cain's notice that his sister took twice as long as normal, and that when she came out she was not happy that he was still up.

She gave him a weak smile before scolding. "Nii-san, you should be asleep already. You have work tomorrow…"

Her voice trailed off as she rounded her bed, pulling back the covers and getting ready to lie down herself. Cain reached from his own bed and grabbed her arm, pulling her over and into his lap before she could even voice a mild protest.

Wrapping his arms around her tightly so that she could not escape, Cain leaned in and scolded quietly, "That is not how you treat your brother, Setsuka Heel."

He felt her freeze and pulled her closer, but tried to be careful. He tucked her head under his chin and just sat there, waiting for Setsu to come back, arms wrapped tenderly around her waist. He did not have long to wait before she responded. She leaned back into him and her arms wrapped around his.

"Sorry Nii-san. Looks like I got distracted." Her voice was penitent and she sounded like she was back in character. Cain gave her one last hug before he picked her up and put her in her bed.

"Much better," he gave her a small smile and tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. "Now we both need to go to sleep." Setsu smiled back at him before she grabbed her covers and threw herself back onto her pillow, watching to make sure he did the same.

It was only after he had turned the light out and settled down himself that he heard a small voice whisper, "Thank you."

Sho would rather die than be where he was right now, but he had something he needed to do, and he had promised himself he would get the answer. So no matter how much Shoko complained and said he needed to focus on his work, and no matter how much he hated running around on a wild goose chase, he was going to finish this.

He only had a small chance of running into the person he was looking for, but he had done enough research to guess that he might stumble on them if he looked for them right now. And as luck would have it, he did run into them, in a somewhat deserted corridor. So there was no one to think it strange when he called out.

"Hey!"

Ren and Yashiro both turned to see the young musician moving towards them with purpose. He was not looking happy and Yashiro took a nervous glance at Ren. The actor was also clearly not pleased to see the other man, but was doing a slightly better job of hiding it. Well, it would be more strange if they were pleased to see each other, but for Sho to be calling Ren out...

"I need to talk to you," Sho directed this statement to Ren, ignoring his manager completely. Ren stared at him for a moment, contemplating the demand, then turned to his manager with a gentlemanly smile firmly in place.

"I think I need to talk to Fuwa-san for a moment. You go on ahead, I'll meet you outside."

Yashiro nodded, trying to keep a straight face and not betray his concern. Clearly something had happened, because he could not imagine Ren agreeing to talk to Fuwa Sho about anything just out of the blue. But if something had happened, and Ren was willing to talk, Yashiro was not sure he wanted his charge to be having this conversation. Especially if he was already smiling like that. On top of that, things involving Fuwa that actually had to do with Ren meant they involved Kyoko. And Yashiro cared enough about both his charge and the girl to want to know what was going on, for her sake as much as his.

"That's fine, but we do need to leave soon if we are going to make in time for your next job." He decided to put his trust in Ren. After all, the man was a professional. If he was willing to discuss something in public, he would not choose a topic that would put him, or more importantly, Kyoko, at risk. Ren nodded and gestured to Sho to lead the way. Sho turned and headed down to an even less used corridor, which reminded both men of the one they had been in not too many days ago.

They stood in silence for a moment, facing each other. The look in their eyes was hard, neither one willing to budge, no matter what the other said.

"You needed to talk," Ren finally prompted, aware that he did have limits on his time. Sho frowned and stiffened.

"Did you sleep with her?" he demanded. Ren sighed._ You have got to be kidding me…_

"I thought Mogami-san explained this to you already. Was she really _that_ unclear?" Ren folded his arms and reclined against the wall, allowing himself to project an aura of nonchalance and disinterest. From what Kyoko had told him, this should not be a conversation that was actually happening. Best to play it down and stick to her words.

"She told me that you weren't in a relationship and that you were acting out siblings. She didn't say whether or not you had actually slept together." Ren blinked as he tried to process what was actually being asked.

"I'm assuming that your vague question is actually alluding to us acting out being siblings and not the relationship the Kyoko clearly explained we were not in." Sho gritted his teeth in frustration at Ren's statement.

"Yes." Ren rolled his eyes, not feeling the need to hide his impatience.

"Why does that matter? She's an actress. Her role right now is with just the two of us, but there is a possibility that she would have to act out a very similar role and scenario in the future in front of a camera." He could see that Sho was very unhappy with this idea.

"She can do whatever kinds of jobs she likes," he growled. Ren felt his temper rising at the implications, but refused to show it. He was in control of this situation. He would not be manipulated by a stupid boy.

"Then your question doesn't matter," Ren said pointedly.

"It matters because it's you," Sho stated, his temper rising. Ren raised an eyebrow.

"So?"

"It isn't me!" he growled, his voice not quite shouting.

Ren's posture tightened a little and his face grew cold. Though he hated to admit it, Sho could feel the superiority Ren held in a single glance, directed with great distaste at the suddenly uncomfortable singer.

"I sincerely hope," Ren said softly, "that you did not make the mistake of telling _her_ that."

"I didn't say that to her," Sho stated quietly, looking away. But his posture and actions told Ren what he needed to know. Even if those had not been his words, she had gotten the message loud and clear.

"You don't own her," Ren stated simply. "In fact, you renounced all claim to her, and not just once. She doesn't need your permission to be an actress, and she doesn't need you evaluating her roles. She is extraordinarily professional and does not let a role interfere with her judgment. What she chooses to do, and more importantly, what she chooses to share with you, is her business. You want to know what happened, ask her. If you can keep your head." he added blandly.

Sho stood silent for a moment, trying to think of a good comeback. When none presented itself, he opted for a change in subject.

"What were you two arguing about anyway," he asked, directing his gaze back to Ren. The older man smiled mischievously, and relaxed again against the wall. Sho felt ill watching the sudden change, from polite warning to complete confidence.

"If she didn't tell you," he said simply, "I'm not saying."

Sho bit back a retort and chose instead a simple glare. Ren's look did not change. In fact, his grin grew wider. Sho tried his best glower, but Ren was not impressed. This was a fight he could win, and he was going to win it, no matter what it left this boy thinking.

"I guess we're finished," Sho grumbled, before he turned and left.

Ren stayed against the wall until Sho's footsteps had faded, then made his way quickly back to Yashiro. His manager looked at him questioningly, but Ren just gave him a quick, reassuring smile and made his way to the car. Yashiro let it go. They still had work to do.

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**And end chapter three. Hope that you liked it. For those who are wondering at Kyoko's frankness with Ren (I have had a review or two mention it), I say two things. One, Kyoko is one of the few people who will scold Ren when she feels fully justified in doing so. I point out situations like the one where he got sick, or when after he kisses her cheek, she scolds him about the conservative nature of Japanese women. And secondly, in a situation like the one she was put in, Kyoko would most definitely have something to say, regardless if it was Ren or not.**

**I have also been causally suggested to expand on the actual incident between chapters one and two. I have not written it, but if people are interested, I could. It would end up being a bonus chapter after I post part four. Just let me know. Thanks for reading.  
**


	4. Revelation

**And here we go with chapter four. Last chapter...  
**

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Two days after his confrontation with Sho, Ren found himself with a highly unusual moment of free time. Because of his work as Cain Heel, actual free time, not just the ten minute blips between jobs that he used to get to his next location early, was essentially non existent. Work tended to flow in a pattern of several days as Cain Heel followed by several days of playing catch up for all of his other work. He had free time as Cain with Setsu most days, but not as Tsuruga Ren.

So today's unexpected break was a blessing. Or, he revised his thoughts as he saw another person at the end of the hall he was traveling, a gift from his manager who had the uncanny ability to fit "Kyoko breaks" into Ren's schedule no matter how busy he was. And given that his break was unexpected and Yashiro had advised him to traverse in this particular direction so that Ren would be easy to find later, he was willing to bet all of this was at least slightly contrived.

Ren did not mind. He had wanted to speak with Kyoko anyway. And looking at her right now, he was fairly she sure she could use someone to talk to as well.

"Mogami-san." Ren called out when he was not too far away. Kyoko looked up at him in surprise, then gave him a small but sincere smile.

"Tsuruga-san. Are you on a break?" she seemed as surprised as he had been when he nodded. Well, she did not know about Yashiro's scheming, so it was not too unexpected.

"Yashiro-san is an amazing manager. In spite of how busy things are with all my work, he is still able to find time for me to have a break." Kyoko's smile grew a bit more.

"Well he is amazing. He manages to keep you on schedule and helps you avoid all of your fans." Her face suddenly grew serious. "You're eating well, even though you have to catch up on all your work, right," she demanded, eyes promising severe consequences in light of an unfavorable answer.

"Of course," Ren responded, smiling. _Not…_

Kyoko did not look convinced. At all.

"Tsuruga-san! You have to eat! If you don't take care of yourself you'll get sick again!" The smile that escaped Ren took Kyoko aback, but she would not be moved from this point. Her heated glare told Ren that at the very least, he would be stuffed to the point of illness as Cain if he did not rise to the occasion before she got her hands on him again.

"Alright," he consented. "I'll make sure I have a proper dinner tonight." Kyoko looked only slightly appeased.

"Why aren't you finding something to eat now?" she demanded.

"Because I don't know where to find something to eat here and now I have run into you."

"What do I have to do with anything?" The look she gave him was genuinely puzzled and Ren wondered for the umpteenth time how he had managed to fall in love with someone who could not be less aware of his feelings.

"I wanted to talk to you." Kyoko looked even more puzzled and disbelieving. "I ran into Fuwa the other day."

"Oh," She immediately tensed, looking away from anything in particular. "That's odd."

"Yes," he replied mildly. "But I think the more interesting thing is that he was looking for me."

"He was what?" She looked back to him, incredulous.

"Looking for me. Apparently, there were some questions you did not answer quite to his satisfaction about our… work."

"I just… told him what I told you." She looked uncomfortable, and it was not a surprise to Ren. But he wished that she felt like she could confide in him.

"I know. He said as much. He also let slip something else…" Ren let the sentence hang open, hoping to catch Kyoko's attention. She seemed to catch his hint, but it looked like he would have to drag it out of her. "He also accidentally told me _why_ he was asking. And that you knew the reason because he made the same mistake with you."

Kyoko was definitely avoiding his gaze. She was standing in her most polite posture, eyes glued firmly on the floor. He was fairly certain she was trembling. The urge to reach out and hold her like he had not long ago was powerful, but he resisted. If she did not want him even knowing, she would find no comfort in his affection.

"It made no sense. He has no reason to think like that," she said softly. "He even made me fall out of character as Setsuka! Why did he have to react that way?" _Because he is a self centered moron_. But telling her that would make no difference. Trying to explain how Sho felt about her would be too much work. If she could not believe that Ren cared about her, trying to explain Sho's attraction to her was a lost cause. And it should not have mattered.

"You didn't have to explain it to him," Ren stated simply. Kyoko looked up at him in shock.

"But… he thought you were in a relationship with me!" Ren used all of his self control to repress a sigh. _This girl…_

"Mogami-san, you of all people should know how much he disliked me before he ran into our conversation. I couldn't care less what he thinks about the idea of us being in a relationship. If it matters to you, then feel free to explain it again if something similar ever happens. But don't worry about it for my sake."

"But…"

"Are you worried about him thinking that you_ are_ in a relationship?" Ren asked mildly, a little concerned about the answer. The look of horror on her face was reassuring.

"NO!"

"Then why does it matter?" Kyoko blinked. Her face went blank and she stared up at him without moving. Ren watched her nervously as she stared, her mouth suddenly moving in random bursts, as if intense thoughts were breaking free. The silence was getting to him, and he tried to think of something else to say. Then her eyes lit up and a look of realization appeared.

"It...doesn't...matter…" She looked up at Ren in awe and he could not help but smile at the look of wonder she was giving him. "I don't need him! He doesn't need to know anything! He doesn't understand it anyway! I have acting, and LME, and the LoveMe section, and you!"

Ren's heart skipped a beat as she listed him separately from everything else. The look of absolute joy that was on her face made up for all the worry he had ever had up to his point. She had him, so she did not need Fuwa.

If that was not a win, Ren did not know what was.

"You're acting for yourself, right? Because you love what you do." He prompted gently.

"Yes!"

"Then you don't have to worry about him. Just do your best. Once you are in the public spotlight and everyone knows how good of an actress you are, even he will have to acknowledge you." Kyoko brushed the comment aside with a wave of her hand, still smiling.

"I know I meant to become a star to impress him, but if that is what it takes for him to acknowledge me, he isn't any better than some random fanboy. I'd much rather gain the good opinions of other people on the way, than his favor at the end of it all." Ren smiled at her sudden burst of realization. As much as he hated seeing her hurting, if that idiot had not opened his mouth, Ren might not have been able to get her here. He grudgingly admitted he might owe the boy. Just a bit. He held out his hand to her and Kyoko looked at him curiously.

"Then let's work hard and do our best." Kyoko took his hand in both of hers and bowed quickly.

"Yes!"

He had to say his goodbyes not long after that, but watching Kyoko walk away with new found purpose left a good feeling with him, even when she was out of sight. It was not much longer until Yashiro found him, still smiling softly in the direction she had left. He had raised his eyebrow in question, but Ren had brushed it off.

"Just more insignificant progress," he told his pouting manager. "You'll just laugh."

The look on his charge's face told Yashiro that it was not quite as insignificant as Ren was portraying it, but since he had obviously not confessed either, Yashiro let it go. As long as Ren was this confident Kyoko was safe, and it could wait a little longer.

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**Hope you liked the chapter. Thanks to everyone who read and especially to those who reviewed. You were a big help. Looks like there are enough people who want to see the incident between Cain and Setsu that I will be adding it as a bonus at the end. I still haven't written it yet, so I will probably not post it until at least Wednesday, but I'll try and get it done as soon as possible. Here is to hoping that life will be kind and let me work without too many problems.**

**Thanks again to everyone.  
**


	5. Bonus: Control

**And after all that big talk about having out soon, here is my horrifically late posting of the promised bonus chapter. Apologies, and I hope that you enjoy.**

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Cain sat down on the bed, exhausted, and doing his best not to show it. In spite of his best efforts, Setsuka noticed immediately and was at his side, looking at him critically and frowning.

"Nii-san, you shouldn't stay up late tonight. You've got work early tomorrow and you're tired." Cain gave his sister an irritated look and grabbed her cheek.

"What mouth is telling me what to do?" he grumbled, but there was no force behind his words. He was tired, and while he did not like being scolded by his adorable sister, he had to admit, tonight would be a good night to take her advice.

"I'm sorry Nii-san!" she mumbled out the side of her mouth. "But you look really tired!"

Cain gave her a tolerant smile and released her cheek to ruffle her hair.

"I know. I was planning on an early bedtime. I need to eat first," they shared a knowing smile over this statement, "but as soon as I do I'll head to bed."

"Then I'll get dinner started," Setsuka said, moving away from her brother and to the small kitchen area to begin. Cain's smile softened and he watched her for a moment before standing up.

It was then that the most unreasonable impulse hit him and his smile switched from soft to mischievous. The robe he normally wore after his shower was missing tonight, probably stashed away in a pile of dirty clothes. But in light of his new plan, it really was better that way. He simply made his way to the bathroom and shut the door.

Kyoko stood at the stove, watching the dinner cook and trying to think of anything else she could make that would not be too heavy for Cain/Ren to eat right before he went to bed. Setsuka listened intently, waiting until she heard the water turn off to start serving. It would not be right to serve her brother cold food.

At the sound of the bathroom door opening, she spoke, turning as she did. "Dinner's ready!"

The shock only registered on her face for one second before Setsuka rolled her eyes and shook her head, watching her brother make his way to the closet. He moved at his regular pace and did not betray any discomfort.

"I'll be ready in a minute," he responded, rifling through his clothes for a moment before he found something that could work as pajamas. Setsu continued to watch him, a small smile on her face, arms crossed, hip resting against the counter where she had set his food.

In her head, Kyoko was in a panic. _He's wearing a towel, he's wearing a towel. Oh save me he's only wearing a towel!_ None of her panic was betrayed on her face, no confusion or discomfort reached her eyes. Setsuka was completely in charge, watching her brother intently, memorizing his every movement as he threw the clothes he wasn't using back into the closet haphazardly. The silly man hadn't quite finished drying off and little drips of water were sliding off his wet hair down his neck and back. His arms and hands were dry, so his none of his clothes were getting wet, but Setsuka couldn't help but wonder at what her brother had been thinking, leaving his things outside the bathroom. Really, sometimes that man…

While all of Setsuka's attention was focused on her brother, Kyoko's brain was still whirling. _This isn't happening. I'm not really here. He can't actually be walking around with just-. It's only a towel. Okay, so it's a big towel, but, but…_

Cain looked up to find his sister's intent gaze and lazy grin and smiled as well.

"What?" he lifted an eyebrow, demanding to know exactly what she found so amusing. Setsuka just shook her head.

"You do realize that I am the one who is going to have to sort all of that, don't you?" she pointed out, still smiling, but obviously not completely happy. Cain stared at her for a moment, draping the clothing over one arm, then shrugged.

"And…" Setsuka giggled, shook her head, and shrugged as well.

"Nothing. Dry off and get dressed before you catch a cold. You're tired, remember. And you still have to eat." Cain nodded, but didn't move. His gaze was fixed on her, and he seemed to be considering her. His head cocked to the side and smiled suddenly, almost secretly. "What?"

"I was just reminiscing. Do you remember when you were in grade school? That doll you made of me?" Kyoko was starting to come back, and there was the tiniest look of confusion before Setsuka nodded, her face blank, not sure where this was going.

"Yeah. What about it?"

"You hated being away from me so much; you made that doll and carried it with you everywhere. The teachers were horrified, mostly because it was an abomination and did me no credit. I don't think the thing looked human." Setsuka pouted and looked away from him deliberately.

"It wasn't that bad!" Cain chuckled, pulling her attention back to him and looking her directly in the eyes to emphasize what he said next.

"Oh yes it was. Although, I suppose that isn't really your fault. Your imagination can only go so far, after all." Cain could tell Kyoko was paying close attention from the slight touch of horror on her face. She was not quite sure of what he meant, but his message seemed to be getting across. "I'm sure, you could make a much better one now. Since you spend so much time fantasizing about me."

His smile was teasing, and Setsuka gave a weak chuckle and a quick "Only because you're the best," before waving him back towards the bathroom. But Ren and Cain could both see the comment had gotten to her. Since it looked like Setsu was bothered by it as well, and Cain did love his sister enough that he did not want her feeling bad, he decided to go back and get dressed. Passing by on his way to the bathroom brought him close enough to tug her hair once, just to reassure her that he was just teasing. She looked back at him and smiled while pointing a demanding finger at the bathroom.

"Dry. Now." The look he gave her demanded to know what she was doing bossing him around again, but she kept pointing. He tugged her hair once more, just to prove he was in charge of himself, and disappeared into the bathroom.

Dinner was out and waiting for him when he came back in only a few minutes. Setsu seemed to have forgiven him his teasing and was scolding him with every bite, telling him to eat more, to be more enthusiastic about it. How else would she know if he actually likes it? Cain took it all in stride and even smiled and complimented her on the food when it was done, telling her if he disliked it at all he wouldn't have kept the first bite down.

Ren's own thoughts were in a bit of a swirl. He could not believe he had actually let Cain walk around and do that. The whole point of Ren's walking away without having said anything before was so that Kyoko would never know he had heard her. Now, she not only knew, but he had no clue what she thought about him. Allowing himself to act so shamelessly in front of her. Even if they were acting as siblings, they were not related by blood. He had to work with her when this was over.

His only hope rested in her traditional manners and tendencies. There was no way she would ever speak of this again. Ever.

_Please._

While she had been scolding him, she had eaten her own dinner and cleaned up. Once Cain was done eating, Setsuka disappeared for her own shower and Cain used the opportunity to read over the scenes he would be working on the next day. His excuse for doing this instead of going to bed, as he had promised, was that Setsu would need the light on, so there was no reason to not read just a bit since he would be kept awake anyway.

When she came back out to find him still working, she walked over, grabbed the script out of his hands, and whacked him in the face with it. Then, dodging a quick grab from a slightly vengeful brother, she tossed it on top of the bag she would be using to carry the script the next day and wandered back over to her own bed.

Plopping down on top of the comforter she started plucking at the fabric instead of tucking herself in, a thoughtful look on her face. Cain, settling himself down, noticed, and rolled over towards her, propping his head on his hand. He waited to catch her attention.

The truth was that, all of Kyoko's feelings aside, Setsuka had been a little hurt by her brother's teasing. She tried not to hold it against him. He had stopped when she had been visibly uncomfortable, and he had tried to make up for it with a bit of playful kindness. But the things he had said bothered her. So many other people not involved with them misunderstood their relationship, and the things he had said made her wonder if he was starting to worry about her feeling towards him. If he could not understand her, if he stopped loving her, pulled back because he thought it was the only way to help her, what would she do? She needed his reassurance.

Noticing his sister was completely distracted and, for once, not going to pay attention to him, Cain interrupted her thoughts.

"What's wrong?" She looked over at him and tried to smile, seeing the worried look on his face. But it did not quite reach her eyes. Cain's heart suddenly ached. She had been fine just a moment ago. What had he done to earn that look?

"I was just thinking, about the things we did when we were younger. How much fun it was. How close we were." Cain was decidedly unhappy with this past tense speech. Setsuka looked at him hopefully, Kyoko's voice in the back of her head screaming a pitiful resistance to what was about to happen. "Can I sleep with you tonight?"

Cain and Ren both froze. Ren's first instinct was to say no, but Cain refused to comply. The look on her face, the things she was saying. He had pushed his boundaries earlier that evening, and even if he had wanted to make the silly little girl that his sister was borrowing squirm a bit, Setsu was not supposed to be hurt by it at all.

Setsuka had started speaking again in his silence and rambled on without taking a breath.

"I mean, if it wouldn't really be a bother to you. I know we're bigger now and it would be a close fit. You might be too uncomfortable. And if you were only volunteering to let me borrow you arm as a pillow last time because there was only one bed and you really don't want to we don't have to. If you don't want to be with me that much…" The look she gave him was desperate and all resolve left Ren. This was entirely Setsuka, who had been hurt by her brother, and that meant it was Cain's choice to make. His responsibility for the actions he had taken earlier. Cain's response came after a short silence, and was given very softly.

"It you had given me a chance to get a word in before you started going off on some stupid tangents you would have heard me say yes." Setsuka brightened and Cain gestured for her to join him with the twitch of his hand. "Silly."

The last word was spoken as she slipped under the covers and snuggled close to him. He slid his arm under her neck and reached over her with his other to quickly flip the light off. Settling back, he wrapped he free arm around her and pulled her a little closer, running his fingers through her slightly damp hair just once. She let out a little sigh and Cain smiled.

"I love you, Nii-san." The declaration was quiet, but it eased some of the worry that had been eating at him. He would never get tired of her, never not want to be near her, never be uncomfortable around her. And he would never allow her to believe that.

"I love you too, Setsu," he whispered into her ear. He felt her relax entirely then, and in a few minutes, the sound of her even breathing told him she was already asleep, safe and comfortable in his arms.

Somewhere in the back of his head, Ren allowed himself to enjoy the sensation of being so close to Kyoko. It was refreshing to know that she trusted him so much to let him act out this role, this scenario, with her.

He could not know that his fleeting wish, that she herself would find solace so near to him, would be realized. The next morning, Kyoko allowed herself the briefest thought after waking that it would not be so bad to wake up next to Tsuruga Ren a little more often.

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**Done at last. Hope it was at least a little worth the wait. I could make my excuses, but doubtless you wouldn't really care for them. And I refuse to whine to you and pretend I am the victim. You were the ones who had to wait. So, sorry again.**

**I hope that no one was too confused with my portrayal of Cain and Setsu as almost separate people. I tend to think of them that way, at least, when they are being acted correctly. The more Ren and Kyoko try and interfere, the less smoothly things go. In my humble opinion. Meh, whatever. Hope you enjoyed the read. Thanks to everyone who reviewed. I had some great comments that really helped. And thanks muchly to my beta who helped make each chapter better than I ever could have alone.  
**


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